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Thursday, August 16, 2012

“I wonder how you say goodbye to someone forever?” - Ann M. Martin

I posted this on my other blog earlier today, but wanted to have it here just for giggles because.

Let’s get a little personal, friends

My blog is clearly about books, and I honestly try to keep personal
blog type stuff off of my blog, but today I really feel led to talk a
little about what’s been going on lately and about my uncle, who I think
had a real book-worthy life.

I mentioned on Twitter yesterday that I’ve been out of town the past
several days due to a death in the family. Long story short, my uncle
was the victim of a shooting at a bar. A man was kicked out, became
angry and retrieved a gun from his car, then returned to the bar to
shoot the bouncer, an employee, and my uncle. Someone asked me earlier
today if my uncle was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I like
to believe he was in the right place at the right time. He was shot when
he stepped in front of another employee as the shooter was pointing the
gun at her. Because of my uncle, she is alive.

All weekend I met my uncle’s friends. I use the term “friends” here
loosely, because these people were much more than friends. They were his
family. I heard stories of how amazing my uncle was, how he was the
type of person who would give you the shirt off his back and his last
dollar (and he really would), how he was such a giving, kind, wonderful
person. These weren’t words from one or two close friends, but from
every. single. person. And I talked to A LOT.

But I knew this of my uncle. I knew his giving and caring nature. And
while I think these things of him, what I really remember him for is
how COOL of a person he was. I remember him for all the things he did
with his life. In the early 70s my uncle began his adventures. Someone
asked him “Hey, do you want to do this?” and he replied “Yes.” Not a
moment’s hesitation, he just jumped at the chance. That adventurous,
brave, courageous spirit took him all the way to Saudi Arabia where he
worked in various medical positions. He eventually started working for
the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. The freakin Crown Prince, y’all! Who
is now THE KING. A friend of my uncle’s made the comment “Do you think
the king knows about his death? Someone should probably contact him to
let him know what happened.” How many people can ask that question when a
family member dies? I mean, c’mon…

As we were going through my uncle’s stuff over the weekend, it really
hit me just how many amazing experience he’s had. Pictures from all
over the world, trinkets and souvenirs from every place you can think
of. He had visited all the places I sit around and day dream of. He had
met so many people and done so many things, all I could ever do when he
talked about it was sit in awe. He had a life few can even dare to
imagine and even fewer will experience.

My uncle with his daughter Fedwa

There’s something we can learn from every death, no matter how
tragic, and that’s to look at the legacy that person left. My uncle left
one that tells me to be adventurous. To look change in the eye and face
it head on. To take chances, to live fully, to be courageous and stand
up for what is right, good, and true.
His best friend, who has been like a brother to my uncle for nearly
50 years, spoke at his funeral and said something that has stuck with me
these past few days. He said “He lived. Boy, did he live.”